Crawling cutie!

Josh is on the go. He has been an official crawler/army style mover for awhile, but it seems like he is getting more bold in his exploration. He is much happier on the floor than in our arms now....funny how things change!

Check out our cutie pie!

the highlight of our shopping trip

If you ask Danny, he might say that his favorite thing about going to Walmart and Sams(other than the food at Sams) is getting to drop a coin in the salvation army bucket. Every time we get close to the end of our shopping trip, when we start to get tired and cranky, I can perk up my little shopper with a promise of money for the bucket. Danny loves to tell the bell ringer Merry Christmas and give him his money. Our favorite bell ringer was a man who played requests on his cornet(little trumpet). Danny talked about that one for days.

So, Danny had me cracking up last time we went to Sams and the bell ringer and bucket were not at the usual post. Another organization had come to hassle shoppers and we were so disappointed to not be able to share our money. But I almost fell over laughing when Danny turned to me and said "Mommy, where is the man with his piggy bank? I want to put money in his piggy bank." I figure that is a good interpretation of what that bucket really is....like a piggy bank. But I wonder if I didn't do a good job explaining the purpose of giving money to the bell ringer? We are not just filling up some other guy's piggy bank, like we do at home with Danny's multiple piggy banks. We are hopefully helping people who are in need. But regardless, it is cute to hear what children come up with on a daily basis. Their little minds are so moldable and full of creative potential. Moms could write a book on the funny things our kids do....or maybe a blog!!!

check out our cuties!

This should have been our Christmas picture for our card this year! oh well, I am sure people will enjoy our actual cards, but I wish I had made them sit for a photo earlier in the season. And I am proud to say I am getting better at Photoshop, b/c most people will have to look twice to even notice the giant drool going down Joshie's shirt. I actually made most of it magically disappear! Now, if I could only do that to the extra 10-20 pounds that I would like to lose. Magically click the mouse and ....poof. It's gone!

Today was a hard day. We found out that my grandmother died this morning after a battle with Alzheimers and multiple strokes. She was a wonderful grandma and I was blessed to have known her. Soon we will gather with family to celebrate a life lived well and grieve our loss. She touched many lives...

these are a few of my favorite things...

I was browsing my frequently visited blogs and enjoying reading Ashley's favorite Christmas things when I found out it was my turn to share!

so here is my list of favorite things about Christmas....

1. I love sitting in a dark room with a crackling fire and the Christmas tree lit. Something about the glowing tree, the warmth of the fire, and snuggling in a blanket makes me slow down.

2. I love the smells of Christmas. Vanilla is my favorite scent. Sugar cookies in the oven are a close second. Real Christmas trees are infinitely better than fake ones for the fact that they give off an amazing smell. And of course, cinnamon. And apple cider. And the smell of wood burning. hmmmm!

3. I love seeing family. My family lived all around the world(East coast, Midwest, Europe, Asia) growing up and Christmas was usually a time when we would gather back together and celebrate. We are staying in Richmond this year, but I am really heartbroken at the fact that Danny and Josh are missing all the Gaskill family fun. We know we are making the right choice to not travel, but it is hard!

4. Christmas Eve services. It doesn't take much for me to get emotional about my faith and the gift of Christ, but Christmas eve services top the list. I think it is a combination of the music, the quiet reverance, and the dimmed lights....every year that service is a big tearfest for me. But I think that is a mistake that we often make by assuming that the birth of our Lord was a meek, quiet, tearful event. Ultimately it was an unmatched and powerful night when God came down to win the battle over sin for us. Angels sang and people were changed. wow.

5. Vacation. This goes back to my days as a student and then a teacher. Who doesn't love a little time off to rest. And all the teachers say amen to that!!!

6. Nativity scenes. I remember sitting for hours playing with nativity scenes at my house as a child. I like to collect them now as an adult. I have some favorites that seem to find a way to stay up long past Christmas. I love my angel tree one the best, but another favorite is my little round people from Peru. Mary, Joseph, and the wise men are all dressed in Peruvian clothing.

I think I will tag Lauren T., Kristin, and Erica.

Here are some pictures from last year. Danny and Josh were dedicated at Grace, even though our littlest was clearly still in my belly!


This was before going to see the lights at Lake Lanier....we waited two hours to enter the park, but it was worth it!


MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Do you like our house?

Aunt Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.


Our lights from down the street....


Do you think that's enough?




OK, so I am pulling your leg. How much do you think these people spend on lights, electricity, property damage(people were roaming the streets all around) every year? We are happy to know that Richmond is a great place to live at Christmas. People really get into the Christmas spirit! We have a tacky lights tour and if I could vote, this one tops the list. I have never seen anything like it before.

Here is the real thing!





MERRY CHRISTMAS!

update: those crazy lights cost about $3500 a month in electricity(which means bigger bonuses for my husband since they are using a lot of Dominion's power) and their biggest vandalism problem is the squirrels that eat the lights way up high. oh and they start working in September. wow.

Thank you for.....

....balls and bubees(pacifers), NanaMaxGrandmommy, Mommy, Daddy, Joshie. These are a few of the things Danny thanks God for every night. But I guess he wasn't finished yet tonight. He hollered for his Daddy and Scott went back in to the room to see what he needed. This is the conversation I heard over the monitor...
S: What's wrong, Danny?
D: I pray Daddy.
S: You want to pray?
D: I thank God for Santa..
S: sure, let's pray for Santa
D: ..and Jesus, and Christmas, and presents, and CANDY, Daddy!!!
S: OK, We can thank God for that. Dear God, Thank you for Santa and candy and presents that help us remember the gift of your son Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.
D: Amen!
S: Good night, Danny.
D: Night, Daddy!

So sweet and precious. Last year was a tough holiday time for our family. We were trying to sell our house, so no decorations. Scott was already in Richmond. I was pregnant and still feeling a little queasy here and there(funny how you forget that part so easily). And most of all, we knew we were about to leave our family and move to an unknown. This year is going to be the first year that Danny will get involved and understand what we are celebrating. And we get to decorate!
This is my favorite season and I can't wait to teach our boys about all our traditions and why we celebrate this time of year. Even though Danny knows that Jesus was born on Christmas and enjoys singing Happy Birthday to God, Santa will always be a fascination to little children. So, of course we had to go visit him this week and get Joshie's first and Danny's second(skipped last year!) Santa picture. Danny refused the lap, but this Santa had a little reindeer for the scared kids to ride on in the photo. What a perfect solution! Mom and Dad get their cute munchkins in a Santa photo, without having to touch the big guy in the red suit. I don't blaim him. If I was two years old and someone asked me to sit on a strange fat dude's lap, I might balk at the request. But as you can see from the photo, everyone was happy! Even the little elf(notice the ears?) in his lap.




After seeing the santa photo, my mom decided that she had a photo of me that looked very similar. Also, I included a photo of Scott as a boy. We think they look like him too! No question who these children belong to!!!






We are attempting to go all Griswold on our neighbors, so I will be posting some "bright" photos soon. I know we won't even come close to loud and tacky, but for first timers, I think we are doing a commendable job!

lots of thankfulness

(note from the blogger: "yes, I changed the title. I felt like calling our cousins a birth control method was unkind. They are a sweet bunch of kids and a joy to be around. We love the busy time together. It is loud, but it is a house of blessings! Lots to be thankful for...but I will stand firm that surviving Grandmommy's house on Thanksgiving is a good test of parenting skills. If you are pregnant and want practice, just give us a call.")

We love our cousins, but it sure is busy at Grandmommy's house!

There are eight of them....all under six years old!


Christmas pic?


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

mind of his own

I wish I had a photo to upload related to this post. It would be so cute!

We have given Danny lots of ways to show his independence lately. He likes to feel like he has some control and we can give it to him with in the safe perimeters of our home. One thing he enjoys doing is running in the buff from the bath to his room to pick out his pjs. Usually after a few minutes of waiting for him to come to the changing table, I have to go in and give a little guidance or else he is on the floor playing with his toys....in his birthday suit. But once he picks out a pair of pjs, I try to honor his request. Since it is quite chilly these days, the t-shirt and shorts he ALWAYS picks out aren't enough to keep him warm. So, mommy just grabs a pair of footy pjs to put underneath his choice. And it is one cute outfit when we are finished. Just imagine footy pjs with a too tight shirt and shorts...all with no unifying colors. And he is proud! I might even start letting him choose his outfits during the day. Of course, mommy will still get to decide church clothes and outfits for special occasions.

We went to the UVA/Clemson game this weekend and nearly froze our toes off. It was a blast though. Danny and Josh stayed warm under blankets and multiple layers, but I am guessing we won't get parents of the year for this trip. I felt a little guilty about taking them out in such cold weather, but then I remembered some childhood adventures that I had. When I was preschool age, my dad was a teacher at Cornell and we would go to the football games. In the cold. With snow falling around us. And I survived. My parents even used to take me to the hockey rink in the middle of the night in my footy pjs to watch my Dad's students play. For them, it was about quality time as a family. It was important for us to be together. And that is how we look at this past Saturday. I will post some photos soon!

What you would do for your babies...

....anything! I know other parents would agree that mommies and daddies would give their lives for their children. The love we feel for our children is unlike any other love we have ever experienced. I love my husband with all my heart and he comes first in my life, but even he would agree that our love for our children is different. We love them, we care for them, and we hope for the best for their lives. Everyday I pray for my boys and find my self having to turn over their care to God. Even with as much as I love them, my care and protection is never as good as what God provides. I pray that they would know Jesus and find fulfillment in Christ.
All this to say my heart was overwhelmed today by a couple of things. When we went on our trip to Walmart after the Children's Museum today, we passed by a tent set up outside with men sharing how a certain organization had changed them and brought them out of drug addiction. I think it was a Christian organization based on the God bless yous that I heard while walking by one man. They asked me if I wanted to stop and hear about their group and possibly give money. I said no thank you(kindly!) as I usually do....I have good excuses:tired babies, groceries to get home, it was raining, etc. As I passed one man said something to Danny. Our firstborn was being friendly as usual and smiling at all the people. I didn't hear the full sentence, but it was something to the effect of "don't turn out like me". I thought about it all the way back to the car. What if? Danny isn't always going to make good choices and I know he will grow from mistakes, but I guess I couldn't picture him doing drugs or getting involved in crime. But we are all with sin. My heart was breaking for that man's mother. I wonder if she was like me thirty years ago. No parent wants that for their child, but fortunately in this man's case, he was using it for good. He was able to use his experiences to impact others and share Christ's love. Isn't that like our Father? He wants so much more for us.
So, then I came home and put Danny down for a nap and settled on to the couch to snuggle Josh to sleep. I had tivoed ER from last night and thought this rainy afternoon was definitely a TV watching afternoon. Forty five minutes later, I was crying and sobbing. Why do I do that? Why do I watch shows that get me emotionally involved? One of the characters had lost her son a few years ago and she was reenacting the event. I can't imagine and don't even want to think about the possibility of losing one of my boys. But I do pray that if it happened I would be strong and know that God has a plan even through the horrible stuff. How did God feel as His son hung on the cross? I find hope in His death, because it paid the price of my sins and He rose again. But the pain was real. Our sin is ugly, just like death is horrible. What a sacrifice.

I think you need some cheering up after that post, so here is a cute Gaskill family photo! I think this picture fits us...outdoors, informal, smiling Josh, independent Danny. Thanks for reading!

Can he fix it?

We just got back from a trip to Maryland to see Nana and Max. It was nice to spend a couple of days checking out their new town. Danny loves his Nana and Max and fortunately climbed into their bed every morning! Yea...nice break for Mommy and Daddy. I have lots of fun stories to share and cute pictures to post, but I think we will start with every one's favorite builder. Yes, that's right. Bob the builder. Bob was a last minute addition to our trip. I think we will be seeing more of Bob in the future.

Bob and the Washington Monument. Bob feels small.


Bob and the Capitol. He is hoping for a future in politics.


Bob and the White House. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of President Bush and President-Elect Obama after they had their meeting that day.


Bob with Max, Danny, Nana, and their favorite coffee. Monday tradition!


I have more to share, so stay tuned.